


Soulmates

by kuonji



Category: Free!
Genre: Fluff, Friendship, Humor, M/M, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 10:33:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16659547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuonji/pseuds/kuonji
Summary: "Soulmates" came out on Makoto's birthday.  At Makoto's request, after cake at Haru's house, the Iwatobi relay team along with Rin went to watch the movie.





	Soulmates

**Author's Note:**

> This is a gift for [irani_owl](irani-owl.tumblr.com), who requested "MakoHaru Soulmate Au! Or something Gen". Er, I kind of smashed them together. Hope that's okay!

"Soulmates" came out on Makoto's birthday. At Makoto's request, after cake at Haru's house, the Iwatobi relay team along with Rin went to watch the movie. By the end, Makoto was sobbing quietly into a popcorn-stained napkin. He would have been more embarrassed about that if it weren't for the fact that everyone except Haru was in the same or a worse state.

At Bow Bow Burgar later, discussing the movie, Rei was the first to enthuse, "The first couple was my favorite. Such a classic love story. The red string of fate."

"That's so old-fashioned, though," Nagisa countered. "I liked the soulwords. That was so poetic, right?"

Rin sniffed. "Only if you go around spouting actual poetry to everybody you meet for the first time. But then, how are you going to find your soulmate if the first thing everyone says to you is always 'Hello' or something like that? It's completely unrealistic. The soul _marks_ idea is better. They're more specific to the person."

"What about you, Makoto-senpai?" Rei was curious to know.

"Hm... I liked all of them!"

Rin and Nagisa immediately made rude, mocking noises.

"Just like Mako-chan!"

"Always so wishy-washy."

"I have to admit, Makoto-senpai, it is sometimes better to be decisive rather than to fear injuring others."

"But I'm not afraid of anything," Makoto protested. "I really did like all of them! The red string was beautiful like a fairytale. The soulwords were cute and personal. The soulmarks were artistic and versatile." Fortunately, he saw Rei nodding along. He had at least one ally.

"It doesn't matter," Haru cut in from beside him. "They were all dumb."

Silence fell over the group.

"Haru?" Makoto nudged his boyfriend, a little shocked at the rude statement.

Haru ducked his head. "Never mind," he mumbled.

"Well, then, Haru-chan," Nagisa said brightly, "Which one was your _least_ favorite?"

Haru glanced at Nagisa, then, grudgingly, said, "The soulmarks one. She broke up with her boyfriend to be with her so-called soulmate, and they'd only known each other for twenty minutes. That makes no sense at all."

Noise erupted once again.

"Her boyfriend was a _jerk_!"

"But don't you remember that scene where she met him when they were kids?"

"It's a classic romance trope. When you meet 'the one', you just know!"

Makoto, not saying anything at first, leaned over and kissed Haru on the cheek.

"Whoa, not in front of us, Makoto!"

"Waaaa, Mako-chan is so bold!"

"Makoto-senpai!"

Haru, the person whose opinion Makoto cared about most at the moment, lifted his stubbornly expression-less gaze to stare at him.

"I'm not going to break up with you, no matter if I meet the most perfect, wonderful, amazing person in the whole world, Haru. _You're_ my soulmate and no one else."

Softening into a slight pout, Haru took Makoto's hand. "Promise?"

"Of course."

Nagisa hooted. Rei laughed. Rin groaned even as he blushed. "You guys are such horrible saps."

Haru narrowed his eyes. "We'll see when you get a girlfriend."

Rin puffed up. "What does that mean?"

Makoto couldn't help laughing behind his hand. "You know you're going to write her reams of poetry and call her pet names. Don't pretend otherwise."

"Yeah, Rin-chan will be the _sappiest_ of the sappiest of boyfriends."

"I will not!"

"Rin-san, you don't need to hide your sensitive nature."

" _Rei_ , even you?!"

Makoto was happy to see Haru smile behind his burger.

***

School, unfortunately, didn't make allowances for birthdays or movie releases, and Makoto soon found himself sighing over reviewing his history notes, some of which seemed to have become unintelligible since he'd written them.

"What's wrong?" Haru looked up from his own notebook, which was neat and perfect, just like most things Haru did.

"Nothing. I'm just tired. I'm going to take a nap."

"Okay."

***

Makoto awoke to an odd tickling, stroking sensation on his wrist.

"Haru...?"

"Don't move."

"Huh?" Makoto jerked awake and tried to pull his arm away, but Haru had a hard grip on his forearm. "Haru? What are you doing?"

"I'm almost done."

Makoto wiped his eyes clear of sleep and realized Haru was _drawing_ something on him. He tried to crane his neck to see. "Haru..." he whined. "It better not be something bad."

This time, Haru answered with a brief glare.

Makoto sighed and settled down to wait.

A minute later, Haru nodded and let go. Excitedly, Makoto lifted his wrist to look. "Oh!" He blushed.

An adorable dolphin nuzzled an orca as they swam side by side.

"What's that underneath?" Makoto held his wrist closer to see. "'Are you all right?'" he read uncertainly.

Haru showed him his own wrist. The same picture was there, except underneath was the word, 'Uh-huh'.

Understanding suddenly, Makoto laughed. "Haru! I love it." He went to hug his boyfriend only to be pulled short by a tug on his right little finger.

He had an idea what that would be.

Indeed, a red string connected him to Haru's finger.

Haru looked away. "You're my soulmate, too," he said decisively.

"Of _course_ I am," Makoto agreed. He nuzzled his silly dolphin back.

"Happy birthday, Makoto."

"Thank you, Haru-chan."

Haru took a breath -- then sighed. "Only today," he warned.

"Okay, Haru-chan," he answered, both of them knowing that he meant nothing of the sort.

  
END.

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed this story, you might try these:  
> [Inevitable](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14408391) (Free!), by kuonji  
> [Cultural Differences](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13836030) (Free!), by kuonji  
> [so while the sun's still setting](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1049476) (Free!), by Fluffifullness  
> [The Plan](https://archiveofourown.org/works/982935) (Free!), by sonnet009


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